The weekly Floridian. [volume] (Tallahassee, Fla.) 1867-19??, 1887-08-25
On THE HILLS AND IN THE
VALLEYS.
I'he Switzerland of Amerfea, Pros
Perfty and Plenty.

VALLEYS.
The Switzerland of America. Pros.
Perity and Plenty.
Mr.. Charles H. Pratt, the versatile and popu.
lar young editor of the Paatka Herald, who re-
Gently visited Tallahassee, says many nice things
about our section from which we extract the fol-
lowing:
For the first time since we discarded that dress
known 10 US now as being only suited for the
opposite sex, we avalled ourselves of an oppor-
tunity to take run up to the Capital of our State
ana behold the beautiful sights so often spoken
OF by visitors to that garden spot of Florida
Leaving jacksonville on the F. r. & n we
sped along at lively rate greatly improved over
that OF the old road. The scenery along This
route does not improve until you reach Lake
City. Live Oak and Madison. There il is that
you look out of the Car window and see on either
side vast fields under ull cultivation, upon which
Is grown cotton, corn, care, potatoes and fire.
quenty tobacco. All OF this is very interesting
to those not accustomed to seeing planting on a
large scale, and the absence OF the orange in
those fields is another novelty-though not
strange for the reason that that section in win
ter is too cold for the successful production of
the fruit
Al lightning speed the train carries YOU on 10
we saw no lightning speed, it being the case that
ours was an accommodation train ; and well it
was tor at every station it stopped for no telling
how long. But this is not the case always. for
mat road is one OF the best equipped in the State
and The trains are run on schedule time.
=, Lake City was passed, then Live Oak and
Madison. From there on you note the change
OF country. The color turns from white sand
banks to red clay hills, and so it is all the way as
you approach the Capital.
TALLAHASSEE
is beautifully situated As you near the CITY the
visitor s at once impress I'd with its beautiful To-
cation upon high hill, surrounded on all sides
by natures most beautiful gifts This being our
first visit since the winter of 1859, everything
was new TO US. though reading has kept US posted
as to the Improvements that have been going on
and are still. Engaging a buggy with two in
hand we were soon flying over the hard roads at
a rapid rate, the occasion being the NEST pleas
ant feature of our visit. In the valleys and on
the hill tops we found most delightful driving
and picturesque scenery, and fer miles we rode
through plantation lanes with broad fields of
cotton, grains, sugar cane and other staples
The hills are numerous, their surface being COW
cred with beautiful green grass, while an occa-
siOnal group of trees adds splendor 10 the OBJ
servers eye, and as you drive on the grandeur
seems 10 increase, and as you ascend and descend
the hills you forget yourself for the moment and
expect to see you rise on the next hill top the
magnificent Hudson river swiftly flowing by at
the foot of your elevation. This country may
well be compared to that Of the Hudson river 80
far as similarity is concerned, though no river
Iushes by at the foot of the hills.
In this beautiful section signs of those good
old ante bellum days are still visible the plan
tations are there, and in many instances the old
time Southern home looms up standing mOnu
ment TO lost wealth, where the planter reared
his family and enjoyed the luxuries OF life. Un-
der those roofs were found among the highest
culture in the country, and to-day those people
have not forgotten their early training. The
planters of Leon, as class, were very wealthy,
owing to the productive soil-one farmer at one
time working ground which produced five thou
sand bales of cotton. 1t has become 80 general
ly understood of Florida that the extensive space
uf pine woods and sand that the visitor meets
with in East and South Florida is a sample of
the entire s ate, that II 10 with difficulty that
the average settler in the East and South can be
induced to believe in the existence in the Middle
part of the State of really fertile and attractive
agricultural region. The fact that as long ago
as 182835 this area OF magnificent land in Mid
die Florida became known to large plan ters in
Virginia and the CarOlinas, who Immediately
entered it from the United States Government,
leaving the extensive pine barrens all over the
State vacant, cOnclusively shows how they then
compared with any other lands in the State.
The time is not far distant when Middle Florida
will be as important in agricultural pursuits as
East and South Florida now are in the fruit
business. Immigration cannot always pour into
the Southern counties, but will turn to the gar
den spot, the most beautiful and fertile OF all
other portions OF the State.
Until recently there has been no land for sale
in Leon county. Being very high rolling clay
county there are no swamps or overf1ows, and
consequently the State acquired title to only an
occasional forty or eighty acre tract in the cOun-
ty; and, indeed, the good land was all entered
before the passage of any acts Of Congress vest
ing certain lands in the State Government, con-
se0uently there has been no public lands TO en-
ter for, forty or fifty years And so valuable have
these old plantations proven since the war that
even with the shiltless, improvident system of
colOred tenantry the prOprietOrs have realized a
steady and abundant income With the gradu-
al passing away OF old citizens OF fixed ideas,
these plantations have, by purchase and inheri-
tance. descended TO the hands of a younger gen.
Grafton of men, less welded TO old customs and
inclined to be more self-reliant Within lew
years past these day propretors, recogniz-
ing the benefits to be derived from eevating and
advancing the standard Of agricultural excel
lence. and despairing of accomplishing with the
black man in one generation what it required
more than six centuries for his white brother TO
evolve, they have gradually determined to sell off
their LANDS 10 encourage iuHiSihtIOuS IuuuCC
A development of diversified system of farm
ing; TO introduce labor-saving machines, and, in
a word, to bring about that radical change OF so
cial and industrial purpose that common sense
dictates should follow the change OF circum-
stances in the South.
With this end in view the good people Of
old Leon have been heartily 10 earnest during
the past year or tive. Large planters, whose
operations were perfectly satisfactory. to whom
there was no money inducement offered for
change, have voluntarily cut their large estates
into parts and some Of those parts they have
sub-divided into 10, 10. 80, 40 and 80 acre farms,
and placed on the market at figures often not
greater than the annual rental they have been
accustomed 10 receive. Late improved agricul
tural implements are now performing the labor
of this section in the hands Of few intelligent
operatives where formerly many ineff1cient ne
groes and their primitive implements were lett
to kill time and butcher land. Fields fallen into
disuse since the war, or heretofore subjected TO
impoverished scratchings have been made mel
low under the heavy double teams driven
through fields and results have attended the
harvest that are truly wonderful In the eyes OF
the old plantsrs A spirit OF improvement ana
progress has taken possession OF these people:
They have within the last few years awakened
70 the fact that the production Of early vegeea-
bles and fruits 10 remunersttve u the crops can
be disposed Of, and another very signincent ds-
covery n Flerida Il that Leon county, win one